I have a few theories about what made my article about being a Democrat who went to a Trump rally go massively viral. Perhaps it was the novelty of the social justice crazy going on in the knitting community. Perhaps it was the experience of someone successfully overcoming Trump Derangement Syndrome when most people just seem to double-down. Perhaps it was that the conservative community wanting to celebrate luring a previously-staunch Democrat over to the “right” side of the aisle.
But mostly, I think that a message of civility was simply what a lot of people were craving after three years of constantly being called nazis and white supremacists by those they disagreed with politically. In so many of the messages I’ve received, there was a profound sense of relief and a renewed sense of optimism that perhaps it will be possible to bridge the political divide. People expressed hope that they could re-establish their relationships with their friends who had cut off contact, or even that their marriage could be saved if they both supported different political candidates.
Though I’m not a religious person, I am a deeply spiritual one. I believe that we all come from the same Source (God) with specific goals and experiences we are seeking to fulfill in this lifetime. I believe we plan our experiences before we get here and then have to discover them on our journey. That’s why some things just seem to happen so easily, while others are far more difficult: The things that are the easiest to accomplish align with the road we should be traveling, whereas the things that are difficult tell us we’re getting off track.
When I wrote my article about the rally, it was one of the easiest things I’ve ever written in my life. And to me, that’s a sign that it didn’t come from me. Rather, I believe it came through me from God because it was something that was needed in the world. And if that’s true, then I really had no choice but to lean into the experience.
And that’s exactly how I ended up at the notorious gathering of conservatives: CPAC2020.
